JP2017506979A - Grip and internal weight system for a golf club having a stopper in the grip - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf club grip for a golf club includes an elongated member having a first end, a second end, an inner surface and an outer surface. The first end is configured to receive a golf club shaft. The second end includes an opening with an insert having a first thread therein. The elongated member includes a stopper that extends a predetermined distance from the inner surface to the inside. The stopper separates the golf club shaft and the insert.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to US patent application No. 14 / 636,289 filed on March 3, 2015, and is a US provisional application filed on March 4, 2014 Claim the benefit to the number 61 / 947,570. The entire disclosure of the above application is hereby incorporated by reference.

  The present disclosure relates to golf club grips, and more particularly to grips that include an internal weight system for a golf club.

  This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and does not necessarily provide prior art.

  In addition to fine-tuning the golfer's swing, the weight of the golf club can affect the distance and accuracy of the golf shot. The feeling of putting is important for accuracy. Different manufacturers offer different ways to change the feel of the putter. Providing weights is one way to change the feel of a golf club.

  Adjustable golf club weights can be advantageous for golfers to improve and / or complete golf shot distance and accuracy.

  In one aspect of the present disclosure, a golf club grip for a golf club includes an elongated member having a first end, a second end, an inner surface, and an outer surface. The first end is configured to receive a golf club shaft. The second end has an opening with an insert having a first threaded portion therein. The elongate member includes a stopper extending a predetermined distance from the inner surface toward the inner side. The stopper separates the golf club shaft and insert.

  Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

  The drawings disclosed herein are for purposes of illustrating only selected forms and not all possible embodiments, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

  Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary golf club that includes a shaft and a head, including a grip and internal weight system according to the teachings of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the grip, the insert, and the shaft. FIG. 3A is a partially exploded cross-sectional view of the grip, the internal weight system, and the shaft. FIG. 3B is a top view of the grip along the line 3B-3B of FIG. 3A with the insert inside removed. FIG. 4A is a top view of the insert. FIG. 4B is a side view of the insert. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the internal weight system. FIG. 6A is a partially exploded view of a grip cap according to the teachings of the present disclosure with a grip and a shaft. FIG. 6B is a top view of the grip cap inserted into the insert. FIG. 7A is a top view of a modification of the insert. FIG. 7B is a perspective view of a modification of the insert. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a modification of the insert inserted in the grip.

  The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. For purposes of clarity, the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements. The examples are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details, such as examples of specific components, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the specific details need not necessarily be employed, and that the embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, none of which should be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. is there. Furthermore, it should be understood that the teachings of the present disclosure may be advantageous to adjust the weight of the device and may be applicable to other desired applications. Examples of such applications include, but are not limited to, tennis rackets, fishing rods, and / or hockey sticks.

  FIG. 1 shows a golf club 10 that includes a head 12, a shaft 14, and a grip 16. The head 12 can be configured to hit a golf ball (not shown) from various locations on the golf course. The head 12 may be configured to hit a golf ball, for example, from green (ie, the putter shown), from a tee box (ie, a driver), or from a fairway, rough or bunker (ie, an iron or wedge).

  With reference to FIGS. 1-6, the shaft 14 is an elongate member extending between a first end 18 and a second end 20. The shaft 14 can be made from a suitable material such as a metal (eg, a steel shaft) or carbon fiber (ie, a graphite shaft). The first end 18 of the shaft 14 is configured to support the grip 16 and the second end 20 of the shaft 14 is fixed to the head 12. The shaft 14 may have a uniform cross section between the end portions 18 and 20 or may have a tapered cross section between the first end portion 18 and the second end portion 20. Good. The shaft 14 may be hollow between the ends 18, 20, or the shaft 14 may include a bore that extends at least in part from the first end. As such, the shaft 14 includes an outer surface 22, an inner surface 23, and an internal channel or cavity 24 at least in the vicinity of the first end 18. The distance between the outer surface 22 and the inner surface 23 defines the thickness of the shaft 14. The inner surface 23 defines an internal cavity 24.

  The grip 16 is an elongated hollow member and can be made from a suitable material, such as natural or synthetic rubber or an elastomeric material. The grip 16 includes a first end 26, an opposing second end 28, an inner grip cavity 30, and an outer grip surface 32.

  The first end 26 is also called a pedestal. The first end 26 of the grip 16 includes an opening 33 configured to receive an insert 34 for attaching the internal weight system 50 to the grip 16. The second end 28 of the grip 16 may include a second opening configured to receive the shaft 14 in the inner grip cavity 30. The shaft 14 may be received in the inner grip cavity 30 such that the outer surface 22 is generally aligned with the first end 26 of the grip 16 or aligned with the first end 18 of the shaft 14. The shape of the inner grip cavity 30 can match the shape of the outer surface 22 of the shaft 14 at least in the vicinity of the first end 18 of the shaft 14. In other words, if the outer surface 22 of the shaft 14 has a circular or pentagonal shape at least in the vicinity of the first end 18, the inner grip cavity 30 may similarly have a corresponding circular or pentagonal shape. Between the inner grip cavity 30 and the outer surface 22 there is an adhesive or binder to limit the grip 16 from sliding on the side of the shaft 14 and rotating the grip 16 in the axial direction of the shaft 14. Can be used. The outer grip surface 32 may have any shape, for example, a cylindrical shape, a pentagonal shape, a hexagonal shape, or an oval shape.

  With particular reference to FIGS. 2-4, the insert 34 may be made from a suitable material, such as a metal, nylon or polymeric material. The insert 34 has an annular flange 36 and a body 38. The main body 38 has an outer surface 40 and an inner surface 42. The insert 34 can be received in the opening 33 of the grip 16 such that the top surface 44 of the annular flange 36 is generally aligned with the first end 26 of the grip 16. The top surface 44 has a recess 45 for receiving the flange of the weight cap 54.

  The main body 38 includes a plurality of walls 46a, 46b, 46c, and 46d, and can have a polygonal cross section. In this embodiment, the four walls 46a, 46b, 46c and 46d form the polygonal outline of the main body. However, more than two walls can be used. The polygon need not be a regular polygon. Polygons can have walls of different lengths. The walls 46 a, 46 b, 46 c, 46 d are configured to engage the inner grip cavity 30, and can suppress axial rotation and lateral movement of the insert 34 relative to the grip 16. An adhesive or binder may be used between the grip 16 and the insert 34 to secure the insert 34 to the opening.

  The threaded portion 48 within the inner surface 42 of the annular body 38 selectively engages the weight system 50 and grip cap 52 described below to the insert 34 and ultimately to the grip 16. Configured as follows. In other embodiments described in detail below, the insert 34 is overmolded or integrally formed with the grip 16.

  The first end 26 of the grip 16 is also referred to as an end cap 80. The end cap 80 may have a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the insert 34. In this embodiment, the insert 34 has a circular recess 82 corresponding to the shape of the flange 36. The circular recess 82 has a depth corresponding to the thickness of the flange 36. The circular recess 82 extends axially inward from the end of the end cap 80. The end cap 80 or grip 16 may also have a polygonal recess 84. The polygonal recess 84 has a geometry that receives the body 38 of the insert 34. In this embodiment, four walls 46A, 46B, 46C, 46D are used to form the main body 38. The polygonal recess 84 also has four side surfaces 86A, 86B, 86C, 86D that extend downward or axially inward (longitudinal) from the first end 26 of the grip. That is, the side surfaces 86A, 86B, 86C, and 86D extend inward in the axial direction from the plane 88 on which the flange 36 abuts after insertion. The inner surface 42 of the insert 34 and the other part of the grip are formed so as not to interfere with each other so that the weight 50 can be easily inserted.

  With particular reference to FIG. 3A, a cross-sectional view of the grip 16 is depicted along with the inserted shaft 14. In this example, the inserts 34 are separated for purposes of illustration so that the threads 48 are visible.

The grip 36 has an inner wall 100. Inner wall 100 is shown adjacent to outer wall 22 of shaft 14. Inner wall 100 has a stopper 102 extending inwardly therefrom. The stopper 102 is a circular or annular band in the illustrated example. The stopper 102 may be a continuous band over the inner periphery of the inner wall 100. The stopper 102 prevents the shaft 14 from biasing the insert 34 outward during assembly. Stopper 102 extends at a distance of _{X 1} in the radial direction from the inner wall 100 of the grip 16. The inner wall 23 of the shaft 14 extends at a distance from the inner wall 100 of the _{X 2.} Preferably, the distance X ₂ is shorter than the distance X ₁ corresponding to the extension of the stopper 102. Thereby, the weight system 50 can be easily inserted into the cavity 30 without obstructing the shaft. The distance _{X 2} may be equal to the distance _{X 1.} The body 38 of the insert 34 is thus separated from the shaft 14 by the stopper 102 when the attachment to the shaft is complete. A diameter D ₁ corresponding to the diameter of the opening of the stopper 102 can coincide with the inner diameter D ₂ of the thread 48 of the insert 34. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 3B, the effective opening formed by the threads 48, the stop 102, and the internal cavity of the shaft so that the weight system 50 can be easily inserted in a closed manner. 24 are aligned.

  The stopper 102 includes a first wall 104, a second wall 106, and a third wall 108. In this embodiment, the first wall 104 extends perpendicularly to the inner wall 100 from the inner wall 100 of the grip. In the present embodiment, the second wall 106 also extends in a direction perpendicular to the wall 100 of the grip 16. As shown in this example, the third wall 108 may extend in a direction perpendicular to both the first wall 104 and the second wall 106. The first wall 104, the second wall 106, and the third wall 108 form a stepped step. Therefore, the stopper 102 is a step-like stopper. When assembled, the shaft 14 is directly adjacent to the stopper 102. In particular, the shaft 14 is directly adjacent to the second wall 106 of the stopper 102. The thickness of the stopper 102 corresponding to the length of the third wall 108 prevents the shaft 14 from moving the insert 34 during assembly.

  1-4, the weight system 50 can be selectively inserted into the first end 26 of the grip 16 and the cavity 24 of the shaft 14 and is configured to threadably engage the insert 34. The The weight system 50 includes a weight cap 54, a spacer 56, a weight 58, and a sleeve 60.

  The weight cap 54 is an annular member that can be manufactured from a suitable material, such as a metal or polymer material. The weight cap 54 includes a first screw portion 62, a second screw portion 64 positioned below the first screw portion 62, and a fixed socket 66 positioned on the upper end 68 of the first screw portion 62. including. The first threaded portion 62 of the weight cap 54 is configured to screw with the threaded portion 48 of the insert 34 in order to secure the weight system 50 to the grip 16. The second screw portion 64 of the weight cap 54 is screwed with a spacer 56 described below. The upper end 68 of the weight cap 54 can be manufactured or overmolded from the same material as the grip 16 so that when the weight system 50 is attached to the grip 16, it has a “finish” or uniform appearance. The fixed socket 66 may have a hexagonal shape, for example, so as to engage with a fixed key such as a hexagon wrench (not shown). The fixed socket 66 can be used to fasten and attach the weight cap 54 and weight system 50 to the insert 34 or to loosen and remove the weight cap 54 and weight system 50 from the insert 34.

  The spacer 56 is an elongated member that can be manufactured from a suitable material such as metal, graphite or polymeric material. The spacer 56 includes a first end 70 and a second end 72 located on the opposite side. The spacer 56 at the first end 70 has a first threaded portion 74 configured to threadably engage with the second threaded portion 64 of the weight cap 54. In the second end portion 72, the spacer 56 has a second screw portion 76 configured to be screwed with a weight 58 described later. The spacer 56 can have various lengths, allowing the user to customize the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 10 relative to the ends 18, 20 of the shaft 14. For example, the user can make the center of gravity of the golf club 10 closer to the head 12 using a long spacer, or can make the center of gravity of the golf club 10 closer to the grip 16 using a short spacer.

  The weight 58 is an elongated member that can be manufactured from a suitable material such as metal or brass. The weight 58 includes a first end 78 and a second end 81 located on the opposite side. At the first end 78, the weight 58 has a first threaded portion 83 configured to threadably engage with the second threaded portion 76 of the spacer 56. At the second end 81, the weight 58 can have a second threaded portion (not shown) for attaching an additional weight (not shown). The weight 58 can be of various weights to provide the user with the ability to customize the weight applied to the golf club 10.

  The sleeve 60 is an elastically compressible member that can be manufactured from a suitable material, such as a foam material or a polymeric material. The sleeve 60 may be configured to extend over the weight 58 or may be formed integrally with the weight 58. The sleeve 16 is configured to be larger than the cavity 24 of the shaft 14 such that when the weight system 50 is inserted into the grip 16 and the cavity 24 of the shaft 14, the sleeve 60 contracts and strongly engages the cavity 24. May have been. In this regard, the sleeve 60 resists the axial and / or radial movement of the weight 58 and weight system 50 within the cavity 24 such that the weight 58 and weight system 50 strike and vibrate against the cavity 24 during use. Can be avoided.

  2 to 6 illustrate an example of a method of attaching the weight system 50 to the grip 16. As the weight 58, a weight having a weight desired to be added to the golf club 10 can be selected. The sleeve 60 can be attached to the weight 58. The spacer 56 can be selected to have a length for positioning the center of gravity of the golf club 10 at a desired position between the head 12 and the grip 16. The first screw portion 83 of the weight 58 and the second screw portion 76 of the spacer 56 can be screwed together. A fixing adhesive such as Loctite (registered trademark) may be applied between the screw portions 83 and 76 so that the spacer 56 and the weight 58 are not screwed out. The first screw portion 74 of the spacer 56 and the second screw portion 64 of the weight cap 54 can be screwed together. For example, a fixing adhesive such as Loctite (registered trademark) may be applied between the screw portions 74 and 64 so that the spacer 56 and the weight cap 54 are not unscrewed. The weight system 50 can be inserted into the opening 33 of the grip 16 and the cavity 24 of the shaft 14. In order to screw the fixing socket 66 of the weight cap 54 into the first screw portion 62 of the weight cap 54, a fixing key such as a hexagon wrench (not shown) can be used. A fixing adhesive such as Loctite (registered trademark) may be applied between the threaded portions 62 and 48 so that the weight cap 54 and the insert 34 are not unscrewed. When attached, the second end 81 of the weight 58 is preferably aligned with the second end 28 of the grip 16. Alternatively, the second end portion 81 of the weight 58 may be positioned somewhere between the end portions 26 and 28 of the grip 16, for example, in the vicinity of the first end portion 26 shown in FIG. 1.

  The weight system 50 can be removed from the grip 16 by removing the first threaded portion 62 of the weight cap 54 from the threaded portion 48 of the insert 34. The fixing key can be engaged with the fixing socket 66 of the weight cap 54 to release the engagement between the screw portions 62 and 48. In this way, the weight system 50 can be separated from the grip 16.

  With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, if it is not desired that additional weight using the weight system 50 be applied to the golf club 10, the grip cap 52 may instead be threaded onto the insert 34. The grip cap 52 is an annular member that can be manufactured from a suitable material such as a metal or polymer material. The grip cap 52 includes a screw portion 116 and a fixed socket 118 positioned on the upper end portion 120 of the screw portion 116. The threaded portion 116 is configured to threadably engage with the threaded portion 48 of the insert 34 when the weight system 50 is not attached to the grip 16. The upper end 120 of the grip cap 52 is made of the same material as the grip 16 or overmolded to provide a “finished” or uniform appearance when the grip cap 52 is engaged with the insert 34. be able to. The fixed socket 118 may have a hexagonal shape, for example, and may be, for example, a fixed key such as a hex key (not shown) and the threaded portion 116 of the grip cap 52 and the threaded portion 48 of the insert 34 Can be screwed together and tightened. In order to prevent the grip cap 52 and the insert 34 from being unscrewed, a fixed adhesive such as Loctite (registered trademark) may be applied between the threaded portions 116, 48.

  The grip cap 52 can be removed from the grip 16 by removing the screw portion 116 of the grip cap 52 from the screw portion 48 of the insert 34. A locking key may be used to engage the locking socket 118 of the grip cap 52 and loosen the threads 116,48. In this way, the grip cap 52 can be separated from the grip 16.

  Here, FIG. 7 shows a modified insert 34 ′. In this example, the insert 34 'also has an annular flange 36' and a body portion 38 '. The flange 36 'is configured similarly to that described above for the insert 34. The flange 36 'has a recess 712 that is used to receive the weight cap 54 or grip cap 52 described above. Thus, the inner portion of the insert 34 'is configured similarly to that described above.

  The insert 34 'has a body portion 38' that is slightly different from that described above. In this embodiment, the body portion 38 'also includes walls 46A', 46B ', 46C' and 46D '. In these figures, the wall 46C 'is not visible. Accordingly, the body 38 'also has a polygonal surface or wall, similar to that described above. In this embodiment, the body 38 'has a second flange 714 added adjacent to the body portion 38' opposite the flange 36 '. The second flange 714 has a surface 716 that can be referred to as the top surface. The surface 716 faces in a direction opposite to the direction in which the bottom surface of the flange 36 'faces. Surface 716 can include a protrusion 718 extending therefrom. In this example, only two protrusions 718 are shown. However, any number of protrusions can be used.

  The insert 34 'is suitable for injection molding or other types of molding. The insert 34 'can be made from a metal or other type of material that can withstand the heat of the molding process. The walls 46A ', 46B', 46C ', 46D' prevent the insert 34 'from rotating when the weight system 50 and the grip cap 52 are attached or removed. In addition, the protrusions 718 increase the resistance of the insert 34 'when the weight system 50 and grip cap 52 are attached or removed. The protrusion 718 extends in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 720 from the surface 716 toward the bottom surface 719 of the flange 710.

  The thread 722 can be disposed inside an opening 724 that extends longitudinally through the insert 34 '.

  Referring now to FIG. 8, the grip 16 is shown molded around the insert 34 '. In the insert 34 ', the grip components are adjacent to the walls 46A, 46B', 46C 'and 46D' (some of which, only the walls 46B 'and 46D' are shown). The weight assembly 50 is received in the recess 712.

  Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Accordingly, the present disclosure includes specific embodiments, and other variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the drawings, specification and claims, and the true scope of the disclosure is so limited. Should not.

Claims (20)

A golf club grip for a golf club,
Comprising an elongated member having a first end, a second end, an inner surface and an outer surface;
The first end is configured to receive a golf club shaft, the second end includes an opening, and the opening includes an insert having a first threaded portion therein;
The elongate member includes a stopper extending a predetermined length from the inner surface toward the inside; the stopper separates the golf club shaft and the insert;
Golf club grip characterized by.   2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the insert includes a first flange and a main body portion extending from the flange, and the screw portion extends inside the flange and the main body portion. A golf club characterized by that.   The golf club according to claim 2, wherein the main body portion includes a plurality of walls.   4. The golf club according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of walls form a regular polygon.   The golf club according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of walls include four walls.   The golf club according to claim 5, wherein the four walls include a square.   3. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein the insert includes a second flange adjacent to the main body.   The golf club according to claim 7, wherein the second flange includes at least one protrusion that engages with the elongated member.   9. The golf club according to claim 8, wherein the at least one protrusion extends in a longitudinal direction from the second flange.   3. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein the first flange has a top surface, the top surface being end with the second end of the elongated member when the insert is received in the opening. A golf club characterized by having   2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the stopper is a belt continuous over the inner surface of the elongated member.   The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined length is equal to or greater than a thickness of the shaft.   The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the stopper has a step shape.   2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the stopper includes a first wall and a second wall extending perpendicularly to an inner wall of the grip, and the first wall and the second wall. And a third wall extending between the golf club and the golf club.   15. The golf club according to claim 14, wherein the third wall is perpendicular to the first wall and the second wall and parallel to the inner wall of the grip. A golf club characterized by A golf club grip system including a shaft,
A grip according to claim 1;
A weight comprising a first weight comprising a second threaded portion that engages with the first threaded portion of the insert;
A system comprising:   17. The system of claim 16, wherein the weight is received in the elongate member such that a first weight end is aligned with the elongate member. A golf club,
Head,
A shaft having a first shaft end and a second shaft end secured to the head;
A grip system according to claim 16;
A golf club comprising:   The golf club according to claim 18, wherein the shaft is directly adjacent to the stopper, and the insert is directly adjacent to the stopper. The golf club according to claim 18, wherein the grip is manufactured from a first material, and the insert is manufactured from a second material different from the first material.

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